The Freight hopper of the Polar Express
by queenlaur
Summary: The Polar Express! A train unlike any other! Unmatched in its beauty, speed, elegance, and far more importantly, its fun and magic! How do I know this? Well…I…may have train-hopped a ride a few Christmas Eve's. Or every Christmas Eve! But don't tell North. My name is Jack Frost, though on this one particular night every year, I prefer The Freight Hopper.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a crossover of Polar Express and Rise of the Guardians. I claim no ownership. Polar Express and it's characters belong to Chris Van Allsburg and Robert Zemeckis. Rise of the Guardians/Guardians of Childhood belong to William Joyce and Dreamworks.**

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The Polar Express! A train unlike any other! Unmatched in its beauty, speed, elegance, and _far_ more importantly, its fun and magic! How do I know this? Well…I…may have train-hopped a ride a few Christmas Eve's. Or every Christmas Eve! But don't tell North. Now that I'm a guardian he offered to give me a never-ending ticket, but where would the fun be in that? My name is Jack Frost, though on this one particular night every year, I prefer The Freight Hopper. Why? Well I got the name from a friend. He didn't know who I really was so he gave me a name, or description, based off of our interaction that night. What can I say, hitching a ride brings out a whole new side of my personality. Let me tell you the story of that memorable trip, on the Polar Express.

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That Christmas Eve was going as it usually did. I spread my snow then headed to the North Pole. The fireman Smokey and the engineer Steamer were preparing the locomotive, the chefs were working on preparing the refreshments, and the conductor bustled about as he always did trying to do everything and make every part of the night run perfectly. While everyone was busy, I grabbed a spot atop her rear passenger car's roof. Settling myself and my bag of gear into the snow I looked at the clock. 11:30 PM, in 25 minutes the magic would begin. Through the workshop window I could see the organized chaos that was the yetis finishing the last of the toys. I could see my friend/part time nemesis, Phil among the others and was excited for when he got to enjoy himself at the festival tonight. At 11:50 the last of the preparations were done and the conductor was holding his pocket watch, ready as ever.

The magic started at _exactly_ 11:55. The conductor's watch clicked three words above its face: Time to go. The train whistle blew and the steam puffed-we were off. The magic stopped time as it went; everywhere at exactly 11:55 the train appeared. House after house, kid after kid, the train began to fill. I enjoyed seeing their eyes light up at the train and was more than excited for later when it would reach its destination. How North decided which kids were invited was still a mystery to me-well, at least most of them were. There were always some whose reason for an invitation was very clear. Peeking over the conductor's shoulder I saw we had two such very important stops left. These were the kids who needed some wonder!

The train stopped and the house door opened. A boy with a blue bathrobe over his PJs walked out. His slippers deep in snow, he trudged his way to the train's side. "All aboard! All aboard!" Out of the steam-very dramatically might I add-the conductor appeared. "Well, you coming?"

"Where?" The boy asked.

"Why to the North Pole, of course! This is the Polar Express!" The grandeur of the train and his pride in it were evident in the conductor's voice.

"The North Pole?" Just as much confusion and disbelief was in the boys voice as pride had been in the conductor's.

"Ah, I see. Hold this please, thank you." The conductor handed his lantern to the boy then took out his clipboard. "Is this you?"

The boy looked at his page on the list. Suspicious now, he answered, "Yeah."

"Well, it says here. No photo with the department store Santa this year. No _letter_ to Santa, and you made your sister put out the milk and cookies. Hmm, hmm, hmm. It sounds to me like this is your crucial year. If I were you, I'd think about climbing on board." They stared at each other for a bit and the conductor took his pocket watch out. "Come on, come on, come on! I've got a schedule to keep-Uff!"

I shook my head: the conductor knew that as long as the train was out time stopped. But the man would push for the schedule he set himself.

The blue robed boy stepped back from the conductor and train. "Suit yourself." The conductor stepped onto the train and waved his lantern, signaling the engineer they were ready to leave.

No one was ever forced to come on the Polar Express; it was a choice. I'd seen kids say "no" before and it broke my heart each time, but for some reason, this time hurt more so. Before the train picked up too much speed, the boy changed his mind and jogged to the train, grabbing the railing and hopping aboard. He made his way inside and I returned to my spot on the roof. The trip through town led us past the Main Street window displays. The excitement from inside the train was audible, even all the way up where I sat.

As the edge of town came into view, I moved to the edge to see the next pickup. Like the boy before, this kid was very hesitant to board. Unlike the boy before, the kid waited just a little too long to catch up. I saw him run as fast as he could only to stumble and fall into the snow. I couldn't sit by and let someone who wanted to ride be left out, so I leapt off the roof and went to the boy's side. Though he tried to hide it, I saw the tears. I reached out, thankfully without passing through, and helped the boy to his feet. He was in a yellow night shirt and simple pajama pants. No slippers on his feet, just socks, and a few holes were obvious in his outfit. But I could tell it wasn't the cold or the fact he fell that brought the tears. I couldn't sense an ounce of fun in him; he was so depressed and sad that his fun was snuffed out. Not even one of my special snowflakes would help. I just _had_ to get him on the train!

I looked up, worried about how far she had pulled ahead only to see the train parked a few blocks away. I dusted the yellow shirt clean of snow then whispered, "hey they're waiting-go! You won't regret it, I promise." I was gone before the kid saw me. My curiosity of why the train had stopped pushing my usual wish to be seen to the back of my mind. "Wind, make sure he gets aboard okay. I'll hold the train if I have to."

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 **I'm excited to see what you all think! Please follow, favoret, and review or PM. Have a Marry Christmas, one and all!**


	2. Chapter 2

When I looked in the window, what had happened became very clear. Kids were picking themselves up off the floor and at the back of the car the blue robed kid was fallen in the seat across from the pulled emergency brake. "Well done, kid!" I whispered. In came the conductor and with him a lecture on what the emergency brake was for, the importance of the night, the train they were on, and that all the other kids wanted to get to the Pole.

Luckily, a girl with her black hair in pigtails and wearing a pink nightgown spoke up. "He was just trying to stop the train so that kid could get on!" She pointed to the car behind them where the yellow night shirted boy had boarded and was sitting alone.

"Young man, is that what happened?" The conductor asked, to which the robed boy quickly nodded. The knowledge of the reason behind the boy's actions calmed the conductor. "Well, let me remind you. We are on a very tight schedule." Looking at his watch, he freaked, and fast-walked to the front of the car. "And I've never been late before and I certainly am not going to be late tonight. Now _everybody_ take your _SEATS PLEASE_!" All the kids ran to grab a seat. When everyone was seated the conductor said, "Thank you." And the train started moving again.

Taking the speaker Mike the conductor asked the kids about refreshments and a happy clamor replaced the tense air. In came the chefs, trolling hot chocolate and performing their show for the enjoyment of the passengers. This was one part of the trip that made me ponder actually asking North for a ticket for myself. But at least this time I came prepared. Back at my spot, I dug a hole in the snow and set up a tripod fire kit, then started a small fire. Yes! Winter spirits can be near fire. We also like hot food and drink-surprising, huh? Anyway, I put a campfire coffee pot over the flames, a loan from the Pole's kitchen yetis-don't tell North-and sat to wait for the water to heat.

As I waited my mind wandered to the two boys, blue robe and yellow nightshirt, nearly polar opposites (pardon the pun) in problems. Blue's belief was dwindling fast but he seemed to still have good fun. Yellow had lost his fun to sadness, but his belief was strong, his ability to be touched by me and hear my voice were testament to that. I felt certain that tonight's trip and a little friendship from the other kids would help take some of yellow's sadness away. Then I could help him keep it at bay, maybe even find other ways to help fix whatever brought on the sadness. I thought back to the boy's pick up, remembering and committing to memory the address. Blue was more difficult. Even after the magic he'd seen on the train he still doubted, probably the rational part of him thought this was all a dream. So what else could be done to help his belief be rekindled?

The pot started to steam and I added the chocolate. Still nothing came to mind. I took out my Hurdy-Gurdy, a string instrument that produces sound by turning the crank. Now, not to brag, but I can play a decent variety of instruments; 300 years' free time, a pan pipe is my favorite wind, I can produce wonders with chimes (especially if I make them myself out of ice), and I love the fun you can do with an accordion, but for high-speed wind conditions like on the roof of a speeding train, the Hurdy-Gurdy is where it's at.

As I played good "King Wenceslaus", I heard a shout. "Hey! I have your ticket!" The voice was none other than the boy in the blue robe. "Hey, you, with the light, wait!" He could see me, which meant there was hope for his belief after all. But what was he doing up here? For that matter what was I going to say when he found me here with a _fire_ on top of the train? This would probably only confirm his dream theory. Suddenly a thought struck me: _why not let him think that? Play the voice of doubt? Not really my usual cup of tea but what if a little reverse psychology was in order. My own magic would contradict my skeptic actions. If I kept the fight going in his head this boy_ _might_ _just end up convincing himself._

So I sat back and let him come to me. I continued to play my Hurdy-Gurdy and took up a relaxed position like I did this every day. The blowing snow parted as the blue robe became clear then the boy's face. I saw him out of the corner of my eye but pretended I didn't. He stood there in complete confusion at my campfire. Finally I stopped my playing and looked at the boy as if he were interrupting me and I was annoyed by it. For some reason I adopted an old hillbilly accent and attitude to replace my usual ones. Maybe it was my wish to be the reverse of my usual self, or just something deep inside of me that had awakened due to the circumstances. Whatever the reason, I looked at him and said bluntly, "Is there something I can do for you?"

"I'm looking for a girl."

"A girl? Well, don't know if I can help you there?"

"I have her ticket." He held out the gold piece of paper.

"Well lookee here." I put my instrument down and took the ticket to give it a closer look. "Lookee here. While this is a, this is an official, genuine, ticket to ride." The ticket was un-punched which meant whoever he was trying to find-probably the girl in the pink nightgown-was probably with the conductor. "Oh, you better keep this in a safe place, young man!" He started to put it in his robe pocket; I noticed a hole there and said, "Try your shoe. That way you'll be able to feel it and know that it's still there." He looked skeptically at my bare feet, but took the advice and put the ticket in his right slipper. "Not that I have much use for those." I continued. "Tickets, no I ride for free. Yeah, yeah, I hop aboard this rattler anytime I want. I own this train, yeah. In fact I am the king of this train, yeah the king of the Pole Ex! In fact I'm the king of the NORTH POLE!" Quietly I whispered "Sorry, North," then I turned back to the boy. "Oh, where's my manners. Sit, sit, sit, sit. Take a, take a load off. Would you like some cocoa?" I took the pot off the tripod and poured a cup. "A nice hot refreshment; perfect for a cold winter's night." As the boy took his cup, I poured one for myself.

"What about, Santa?" Blue robe asked.

"Santa?"

"Isn't _he_ the king of the North Pole?"

"You mean this guy?" I took an old traditional Santa hat from my hoodie pocket, put it on, and then started acting like the robotic Santa I'd seen in the store windows. The boy's face looked like I just told him his worst fear was true. "What exactly is, is your persuasion, on the big guy? Since you brought him up."

"Well, I, I want to believe! But…."

" _But_! You don't want to be bamboozled! You don't want to be led down the primrose path!" I started packing up my stuff. "You don't want to be conned, or duped, have the wool pulled over your eyes, hoodwinked! You don't want to be taken for a ride, railroaded!" I dumped the last of the cocoa onto the fire, dousing it and finished my packing in the cloud of steam. I swung my staff over my shoulder and looked the boy in the eye. "Seeing is believing! Am I right?"

"But what about this train?" He asked.

I stood straighter, a smirk on my lips. "What about it?"

"We're all really going to the North Pole, aren't we?"

"Aren't we?"

"Are you saying that this is all just a…dream?"

" _You_ said it kid, not me!" He looked even more confused, so I changed the subject. "So, let's go find that girl." I turned on my heels and walked towards the engine. "One other thing." I turned back, "do you believe in spirits?" The boy shook his head. "Interesting." I nodded a few times then turned forward again.

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 **Boy did that scene take a lot of work, but oh was it fun! I hope you liked it.**


	3. Chapter 3

I walked ahead of the boy, pointedly ignoring his calls for me to wait. I was easily able to move through the snow and blowing wind, but it hampered him. Soon I was far head and out of his sight. My ears picked up his attempts to wake up and I decided a little magic was in order. I crafted two skis and one stick out of ice, then used them and my staff to return to the boy. I had just doused him with a huge load of doubt, now it was time to contradict myself by showing him a lot of magic. And in true Jack frost fashion, I could use the fun up ahead to do just that.

"Wake up! Kid get your head out of the clouds. Wake up kid, there's no sleepwalking on the Polar Express! We got to jump them mountains." I turned my skis and continued. "Come on kid, grab my shoulders." I held out my hand, which he took, and then I placed the boy on my back. Once his hands were secured around my shoulders I started skiing back to the front of the car. "We got to hightail it to the hawk, pronto!"

"The hawk?"

"The engine, you tenderfoot. We got to hit the engine before flattop tunnel."

"How come?"

"So many questions. There is but one inch of clearance between the top of this rattler and the top of flattop tunnel. Savvy?!" We started going up the hill that came before flattop. I could feel the boy tense. "It's just a run-up to the hump kid. This will be interesting."

Crossing my skis I let us slide backwards along the inclining train, as we neared the caboose's end, I hooked my staff onto a handrail. The jerk caused blue robe to lose his grip and fall off. He managed to grab the taillight, but his feet were dangling dangerously over the tracks. The train crested the hill, we had _very_ little time.

"Get back on, kid! Hurry!" I held my ice stick out to him, "Grab on!" Once he had a good grip, I flipped him over my head and onto the skis directly in front of me. As the train went down the steep hill, I straightened my skis and we shot like professional skiers, jumping over gaps between the cars. The engine was coming up fast, and so was flattop tunnel. "There's only one trick to this kid." The tunnel mouth looked like a maul ready to swallow the train whole. "When I say 'jump'," the engine's smoke stack entered making the tunnel and the two small eye-like openings above it glow like a dragon's face, "JUMP!" I lifted into the air, dissolving my skis and spare stick. The boy leapt and landed in the coal cart.

I flew over the mountain and met the Polar Express on the other side. When I saw the engine there was something, or two somethings, crawling on it. I got closer and burst into giggles. The headlight had gone out and Smokey and Steamer were _trying_ to replace it. Their stumbling's were just _too_ funny! Then they almost dropped the new bulb and Steamer grabbed Smokey's beard to swing out and catch it. "Owwwwwwooooooh!" Smokey howled.

Finally, after much pain on Smokey's part, the light was fixed. "Look!" Smokey cried. I spun and saw it too: something was on the tracks.

"Stop the train!" Steamer cried. Then he got stuck trying to use the platform to get back to the engine room.

That's when it dawned on me, _Wait, if you are both here, who's driving_?! The thought made fear for all the kids on board grip me. I tried to slow the train by shooting ice at the wheel gears, but the speed it had gained from the downhill run made my attempts useless. The obstruction was getting closer and closer, the train still going full throttle when suddenly the brakes activated. As the Polar Express slowed to a stop, my laughing returned. The light revealed that the thing on the tracks was none other than a huge heard of caribou.

"I make at least 100,000, maybe even 1 million. It's going to be _hours_ before they clear these tracks. Steamer told the conductor who had come to the front of the train, more than a little upset, to find out why the Polar Express was stopped, _again_.

"It's a tough nut to crack." Smokey agreed.

The boy in the blue robe and the girl in the pink nightgown had followed him. As the adults tried to figure out what to do (mostly by complaining, agreeing to a complaint, and back and forth again) the kids tried not to slip on the ice. My attempts to slow the train had caused the pathway to become quite slick. The boy did well until he came to the very front under the headlight. When his feet lost traction he grabbed for the nearest thing to steady himself. That just happened to be Smokey's beard, which in turn solved the caribou problem. Smokey's howl of pain received an answer call from the herd. Intrigued, the conductor gave the beard a yank. Another call answered him; three more yanks did the trick. Parting to either side, the caribou cleared the tracks, creating a path straight through the herd.

"Problem solved." The conductor declared. "All ahead _slow_!"

The fireman and engineer returned to the engine control room, while the two kids and the conductor stayed on the platform. I myself settled next to the smokestack, between the two groups, so I could observe both. As the roller coaster part of the trip was just ahead, I didn't want to miss a thing.


	4. Chapter 4

With a jerk, the brake was released and the engine started to chug. The Polar express slowly picked up speed and continued on its way. From my spot I could hear Smokey shoveling coal into the boiler, Steamer working the levers, switches, and knobs of the controls, and upfront the boy, girl, and conductor talking. Everything was going smooth as silk. That is until an unnerving **clanking** caught my ear.

That sound didn't bode well. I left my perch and went to the back of the control room, where the coal cart opens for easy access. I saw the problem straight away the brake arm had a loose pin that was catching. The train kept picking up speed and we were getting dangerously close to—.

"We're going pretty fast."

"Tell the engineer to _slow down_."

The wind brought the boy's and the conductor's voices to my ear. Then the little girl started shouting, "Slow it down!… Watch your speed!"

Steamer yanked with all his might on the brake and the pin strained.

"Wait, stop!" I shouted too late. The pin came out!

Steamer fell on his romp with the brake handle still clutched in his hand. "Jumping jeepers! The corner pain sheared off!"

"What?!" Smokey shouted.

"The pin!"

"Where?"

"There!" The two shouted at the same time. Steamer tried to grab it and missed. The bump of his hand made the pin fall into a fire grate.

"Oh no!" All three of us cried. I left those two to check on the three up front.

The girl in the pink nightgown was at the platform railing still yelling at the top of her lungs to slow the train down. Oblivious to the trouble in the control room she turned to the conductor. "They can't hear me."

"They can't?" Pink nightgown shook her head, worry on her face. "Oh, I don't like the look of this. Quick! Underneath the safety bar!"

Warning signs were posted on the side of the track.

 **Danger 179° Grade!**

 **Use Low Gear!**

The conductor started wrapping a safety strap around the boy and the girl, securing them to the safety bar.

"Is… Is everything all right? What should we do?" The kids fear was so strong I could have cut it with an icicle.

The conductor was understandably nervous but he kept his head. "Well, considering the fact… that we have lost communication with the engineer. We are stranded totally exposed on the front of the locomotive. The train appears to be accelerating uncontrollably and we are _rapidly_ approaching glacier Gulch, which just happens to be the steepest DOWNHILL GRADE IN THE WORLD! I suggest we all hold on, **tightly**!"

The train went over the drop and the roller coaster ride began. Down, down, down we went then up, up, up. Through a rock formation in the shape of an open gate, then down again. I could barely keep my grip, even having created ice handholds and a safety strap of my own. We hit the straight track and the speed created almost GeForce-like conditions. Then we were going down again. With a rattle we hit the last straight track, the one that led to the frozen ice of the ocean.

"Jiminy Christmas, the ice is frozen over the tracks!" The conductor was right.

The tracks usually sat just above the frozen water, creating a majestic feeling of the train riding on the ice. But the tide must have been extra high this year, for the tracks were now barely visible beneath the white ice. When the train hit the slick surface, its back car started curving towards the engine; the friction the sideways wheels created slowed us down. I unfastened myself and returned to the control room.

Steamer was on his knees, choking. Smokey grabbed a shovel and smacked Steamer on the back. The pin-no idea how it went from the fire grate to inside his throat-shot out of his mouth and then out the window.

"I got it!" I followed the pin, only to see it fall tip first into the ice. I tried to pull it out but the pin was stuck fast. I cringed; there was no getting it back. "Whoops, what now?"

Looking back I saw trouble more pressing about to happen and I booked it back to the train. Having no track at such speed, plus the train turning around on itself, caused the engine to start to tip. The girl in the pink nightgown lost her grip on the railing and her footing at the same time. She started to fall off when the conductor grabbed her hand. Then he started to slide off, the boy grabbed the conductor's belt but he had no but better luck. Just as all three were about to be pitched off the train, I grabbed the boy's robe.

"I got you, come on, up you go." The conductor was amazingly calm considering the girl he held was dangling off the side of a tilting, moving train.

The boy, even as he struggled to keep the conductor on the platform, looked back in shock to see me. "The freight hopper?" He mouthed.

I put a finger to my lips to tell him to keep quiet about me. Then I pulled all three back to safety and disappeared into the blowing snow. I returned it to the window of the control room. The brake was still in pieces, and until it was fixed the Polar express was in danger of becoming a wreck on the ice. "Come on you guys! The kids on the train are depending on you. Stop this thing!"

Smokey looked between me, then the brake.

"What do we do?" Steamer cried.

Smokey looked out the window. The wind whipped his hair, and an idea seemed to come to him. He took off his hat, revealing a bun of hair secured by a thick bobby pin. He removed the pin, hair cascading down to cover his face and most of his front. Steamer put the brake arm in place and Smokey put his bobby pin in the hole. It held and the engineer pulled the brake.

The brakes squealed as the train did a 180° spin, but we finally stopped with the engine facing the way they had come. The engine rocked first one way then the other, and finally it settled itself. The three upfront seemed shaken but all right, and the two in the control room were the same. I settled on the first passenger car's roof and breathed a sigh of relief.

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 **The fun's not over yet!** **I tried to capture the thrill of the scene from the movie.** **Let me know what you think so far, fast and exciting enough?**


	5. Chapter 5

The conductor and the two kids climbed to the roof of the engine, pulling open the sunroof with force the conductor looked angrily down at the engineer and firemen. "What in the name of Mike…!"

A faint cracking noise caught all our attention. I looked back to where the pin had stuck in the ice. The equivalent of when Scratch from Ice Age put his acorn in the glacier was happening to the ice and pin. In any other circumstance this would have been too hilarious to not laugh at, but right now it was a recipe for disaster. The crack got bigger, and soon whole chunks of ice were breaking, revealing the cold water underneath. This was bad and getting worse; the line of breakage was heading straight towards us!

"Get us the blazes out of here!" The conductor shouted at Steamer. We started going full throttle in reverse. "Turn this sled around." Sliding and curving, the engineer did just that, then Steamer tried to coax more speed.

"Look there!" The boy warned.

The canyon ahead had a very thin opening, just big enough for the train, where the tracks continued. If we missed it, we'd either crash into the wall or sink into the water.

"Tracks! Dead ahead." The conductor relayed to Steamer. "I'll guide you." The train started to curve left. "Right." Steamer corrected the train following the conductor's directions. The train lined up then went too far. "Left." More switches and levers clicked and clacked to correct again. Back and forth this went, the conductor soon started using boating talk, then switched to other languages, making his right/left directions more interesting-because trying to put a fast moving train that was slipping and sliding on ice through the _only_ safe path available with braking ice chasing you isn't interest enough! Closer and closer we came, then the breaking ice caught up to us. The cars started to fall in!

"Brace yourselves!" Both myself and the conductor shouted.

The spinning wheels went under and connected with the submerged tracks. With a huge splash, we exited the water and threaded the needle of the canyon!

The ride was nearing at its end. Boy, had it been one to remember! Now that things were calmer, I breathed a sigh of relief. From my place hidden in the blowing snow, I saw the boy had gotten the girl her ticket and the conductor was busy punching it. Then the three started walking back to the passenger cars. I took to the air to follow from above.

"Watch your step now, watch your step! Mighty slippery, _oh watch_ _it_!" When the boy slipped the, conductor pulled him up. There was no need for me to interfere so I just floated above them as the conductor helped steady the kids. "See! What I tell you? Years ago, on my first Christmas Eve run, I was up on the roof, making my rounds, when I slipped on the ice, myself. I reached for the handle, but it broke off! And yet, I did not fall off this train."

"Someone saved you?" the girl asked.

"Or some _thing_!" the conductor replied. I couldn't help but smile, remembering that night long ago.

"An angel!" The girl said.

"Maybe." The conductor went down the ladder to the connector platform between two cars.

"Wait!" The boy called. "What did he look like? Did you see him?"

"No, sir", the conductor helped the kids down the stairs. "Sometimes seeing is believing! And sometimes, the most real things in the world are the things we can't see!" With that he turned and entered the first passenger car.

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 **I love what the conductor says there, it speaks so much about not just Christmas but of life in general. I honestly think that to go through life without belief is a sad way to exist! I'm about to put not just Blue Robe but also Jack through a emotional ride, let me know what you think of both the threading of the needle scene and what I do next. XD**


	6. Chapter 6

I went to the car's roof and found the sunroof to peek in. The cluster of broken, discarded, and filthy toys that North had the Polar Express crew pick up for refurbishing covered the seats, walkways, and hung from the ceiling. As the three passed beneath, I noticed a certain puppet that was directly in reach of the boy. A mischievous/slightly scary idea came to mind; one that might add to the kid's inner battle.

 _Will all this work in the right way? If I scar him for life and become the cause of his disbelief I'll never forgive myself!_ I hung on the edge of taking the puppet's control sticks. When the conductor and the girl left the car I acted, more like reacted, and moved the puppet's hand so it fell on his shoulder. The boy stopped and turned his head slowly. When the corner of his eye fell on the puppet, I moved the toy's mouth and said; "You are just like me, my friend, A SCROOGE!" I swung the Scrooge puppet so it followed the kid as he backed away with a gasp. "Ebenezer Scrooge, the North Pole, Santa Claus, this train. It's all a bunch of HUMBUG! A bout of indigestion. Oh yeah, I know what you are, you're a DOUBTER!" The boy ran, smacking puppets out of his way as he worked to get to the door. "A doubter, you DON'T BELIEVE!" I repeated that sentence over and over till he found the door and escaped. The fearful and obviously uncomfortable look on his face made me feel horrible! _What have I done?_ I thought to myself.

I continued the rest of the way to the car where he had started the ride. I peeked in a window but saw no sign of him. For several minutes I watched the kids in the car run around. When the door opened the conductor ushered in the girl in the pink nightgown. Still the boy was nowhere to be seen. I felt terrible, and returned to my earlier spot on the roof. _I should never have tried to play someone I'm not! This idea to create a conflict was pure insanity. Now the kid is scared, confused, and it's all my fault. He'll never keep believing now._

"I'm wishing on a star, and trying to believe. That even though it's far, you'll find me, Christmas Eve." A song floated on the wind and seemed to draw me to it. At the edge of the caboose, the sound of the singing became stronger, and when I peeked over, I saw the little boy with the yellow nightshirt looking out behind the train, as he held the railing of the caboose's porch. His voice was sweet and sad at the same time. The song he sung spoke of Christmas, but the emotion behind it spoke of how he wished for something; presents yes, but something more.

It seemed I wasn't the only one who noticed it for from the open door to the caboose's car, the girl in the pink nightgown stepped forward and joined in the song. "The best time of the year, when everyone comes home. With all this Christmas cheer, it's hard to be alone. Putting up the Christmas tree, with friends that come around. It's so much fun, when Christmas comes to town."

 _This calls for some winter–fun magic_ , I thought as I beckoned the snowflakes swirling around the train and threw them close to the light cast by the train's taillight. The colors mixed with the patterns I created, causing presence of green and red paper to take shape. The girl pointed them out as she and the yellow shirted boy continued to sing. I created a simple Santa and sleigh pulled by reindeer. Causing joy to be added to the song, the girl took the boy's hand and I saw him smile. "Way to go, kid!" I whispered.

The boy looked towards the train and I saw the question on his face. "What about you?" It asked. I leaned over further and saw that the blue robed boy had been standing there the whole time. He was ringing his hands like he was nervous, but he nodded. The yellow shirted boy nodded back, then the girl shouted, "Look!" All of us looked up to see the northern lights (the real aurora borealis not the Guardian's call).

"The northern lights," the boy in blue said.

"Hey, you three." The conductor walked out to join them. "We just crossed it. Latitude 66° 33 minutes, the Arctic Circle. And do you see? Those lights in the distance. They look like the lights of a strange ocean liner sailing on a frozen sea. There…is the North Pole."

I smiled; this was always one of the best parts. When I got to watch the kids' reactions. A beam of moonlight shined for just a moment on my head, and then moved to shine on the patio. I followed it and felt my heart soar. The boy in the blue robe looked like a fish. His eyes were wider than I thought anyone's could be and his mouth hung open like the hinge on his jaw was loose. Shock most definitely took precedence in that look, but I could swear I saw Joy too. Maybe I hadn't ruined everything.

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 **Sorry for the delay, the last two chapters will be up on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Little timing idea I got from** **Panther4Life, Thank you for the great idea!**

 **I also want to thank all of you out there for reading my story, and for following, favoring, and** **reviewing** **! It makes me so happy that you like me work!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Merry Christmas Eve everyone! As promised here is the 2ed to last chapter of my christmas story. Hope you enjoy and please let me know what you all think!**

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The exclamations of excitement and wonder as we drew closer and closer to the pole were so loud you could easily hear them over for the train's chugging and the wind rushing by.

"We made it! And with five minutes to spare!" The conductor announced as he desperately tried to hide tears of joy. As the empty streets became all the more obvious, the questions started to come. From my roof spot, I heard the conductor explain that everyone was gathered in the square. "That is where Santa will give the first gift of Christmas."

"Who gets the first gift?" a boy asked.

"He will choose one of you."

The last straggler elves could be seen walking beside the tracks, so everyone rushed to the windows. I had to cover my mouth or I would have burst into uncontrollable laughter at the antics the elves performed to get the kids' attention. When the train stopped the conductor tried to get the kids to line up and stay together as he led them to their spot in the square's crowd.

"Excuse me." The girl in the pink nightgown asked.

"Question?" The conductor inquired.

"What about him?" I followed her pointing finger, as did the boy in the blue robe and the conductor. The boy in the yellow nightshirt was still sitting on the train's caboose looking rather sad.

"No one is required to see Santa," was his reply.

Both the boy in the blue robe and the girl in the pink nightshirt climbed back on the train and entered the caboose. I went to the back and looked in the door's window. The three talked and it looks like the yellow night shirted boy might get off and join the group when the caboose jerked and pulled away from the rest of the train. The car had come unhooked somehow! As the three gathered on the back patio, I went to the roof right above them.

"It's going to be okay." The blue robed boy tried to comfort, then we hit an acceleration box and switched to a downhill track. "Maybe not!" The kids latched on to anything they could find for support as the caboose continued to pick up speed. "The emergency brake!" Blue robe went looking for the lever, but what he didn't know is that the caboose's brake had a different set up. "There's no brake, I can't find the brake!" He had walked all the way to the other end of the car; he was right next to the brake wheel and didn't see it.

So I gave him a hint. I tapped the wheel with my staff, catching his attention. "Take a brake, kid. How about a nice cup of cocoa." The train's garage entrance tunnel was coming up fast. I jumped off as the caboose entered it. I made to follow, but was stopped by a beam of moonlight. Sparks lit up the darkness as I heard the brakes being applied. I desperately wanted to follow but the Man in the Moon seemed to be telling me they would be ok on their own. "Okay Manny, I'll leave it alone. I hope you know what you're doing!"

* * *

Floating above the heads of all gathered I watched as yeti, elf, and human alike enjoyed the excitement of waiting for the sack to be placed on the sleigh. When it came into view however it was obvious the aircraft carrying it was too low.

"I may just be an old railway man, and know nothing about lighter than air craft. But from my perspective, you need more altitude," the conductor shouted. His words were picked up as a chant and a crew of elves leapt off the aircraft. They performed a skydiving snowflake then parachuted down. "Flying elves, they are professionals. Do not try that at home kids, do _not_ try that at home."

"I wish the other elves were as…you know…all there like those elves are," I whispered to Phil. The yeti half sighed half chuckled. I couldn't help but think of the elves that had thought it a good idea to wrap themselves in Christmas lights and plug then in.

The sack was much higher, but the bottom still nudged the star at the top of the square's _huge_ tree. When the topper fell, everyone started to scatter. Immediately, another group of flying elves leapt, attached to the aircraft by bungee cords, and grabbed the star just in time. The tip _just_ barely touched the nose of a lone elf (not one of the smarter ones) that had plastered his back to the ground. The bungee cords pulled the flying elves, with the star in toe, back up and the topper was put back in place. The sack dropped onto the sleigh and the yetis climbed to the top and ushered three kids out of the sack.

"Okay, you are right," I said looking up at the moon. The kids rejoined the group and the reindeer were brought out. They were itching and so ready to get going, they almost lifted the yetis that held their reins off the ground. Next a group of elves carried the belled ropes out. When they shook them, their beautiful sound rang loud and clear. I looked at the kids, seeing the excitement in every face… Except one.

Blue robe looked confused. "He can't hear them," I said to myself.

As if to confirm my observation, the girl in the pink nightgown turned to him and exclaimed, "Aren't those bells the most beautiful sound?" Still the boy looked confused, but now sadness and discomfort were mixed in.

 _He still has doubt, he doesn't fully believe_. His wavering belief let him see all of this, but only if he _truly_ believed would the bells ring for his ears. The music changed to the well-known classic "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Everyone in the square sang along and on cue North made his grand entrance.

Blue robe struggled to get a glimpse but was blocked by all the bodies in the way. He started to get more and more upset and I felt his belief stretching thinner and thinner. "I can't see him, I can't SEE HIM!" Suddenly time seemed to change pace. The leaping elves, the cheering yetis, and the excited humans moved in slow motion. The song became drawn out. Only me and blue robe seemed unaffected.


	8. Chapter 8

**Merry Christmas everyone! I won't keep you waiting, here is the last chapter of The Freight Hopper of the Polar Express!**

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A single bell came loose from the reindeer and bounced once, twice, three times, then rolled to the boy's slipper clad feet. He bent down and gently picked it up, shaking it over and over directly by his ear. Tears came to his eyes.. Silence! A few more desperate shakes, but still nothing, I could tell from his face. I felt like crying myself.

"Okay, okay! I believe! I believe!" Blue robe said, to the bell, to himself, to everyone who was listening. He shook the bell…And his face lit up!

"He hears it! He hears it!" I shouted. North must have heard it to because he turned and began walking towards the kids. Everyone quieted down, waiting to see which kid would get the first gift of Christmas.

North then walked over and looked down at the boy. "Vhat vas zat you said?"

The boy, hadn't noticed North until now and with a look of shock turned and mumbled, "I believe, I believe. I believe this is yours."

"Well, thank you." North walked amongst the kids, making a comment to each one. I stayed out of sight next to Phil-why spoil the fun of sneaking around by revealing myself-as he talked about friends, skills, and the truly important gifts we can receive. Then he said in his loudest voice "Let's have this young man right here." Blue robe gawked as North pointed at him. He was led to the sleigh as North sat in the driver's seat. The boy climbed up next to him. "Now," North said. "Vhat vould you like for Christmas?"

"Me?"

"You." The boy leaned in close, North met him halfway, and whispered into the Guardian of Wonder's ear. Once the boy finished sharing North pulled back, a bit shocked. "Yes, yes, indeed." He then stood and held aloft the bell from before. "The first gift of Christmas!" Bending to the boy's height he said: "Zis bell is a vonderful symbol of the spirit of Christmas, as am I. Hm hm. Just remember the true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart."

"You better keep that in a safe place," the conductor offered.

As the boy tucked the bell into his pocket and walked down to the others, he was congratulated over and over. North called to his team and they were off. The sleigh circled the square once, then, with a _Woomph_ of a portal, they were gone. Silence…then roaring cheers filled every inch of the square.

* * *

The celebration, complete with a band performance, was "rocking on top of the world" to borrow a quote. And all too soon the conductor called, "All aboard!"

Phil grabbed my arm as I started towards the train. "Woduge?" he asked, motioning to the party.

"Thanks, but I want to see the kids home safe." Phil nodded and smiled. "See you soon. Oh and don't think this means I'll be going easy on the pranks." My friend/rival shook his head in both recognition and mirth.

As I settled in on the roof, I heard a clamor below. Peeking in the window, I was upset to see blue robe looking so sad.

"We'll find it," yellow shirt said.

"Yeah, let's go find it right now," the girl encouraged, getting up. Before they could leave, however, the train started to move. The kids turned sorry faces to blue robe. "I'm sorry, about the bell."

"Oh no!" I cried as the reason for blue robe's sadness became clear. "The hole in his pocket! The bell fell out." I looked back at the square. "Let's find it, Wind!"

Together with Phil, some other yetis, and some flying elves, we scoured the area for the bell and came up with nothing. "The only place left is…the sleigh." There was no way I could find North-he could have used at least ten portals by now. However, I knew the Polar Express's route, "Wind, let's catch a train."

* * *

We made it just before the Polar Express left the tracks and hit the streets. We neared yellow shirt's house and I was happy to see North had gone all out there. While the shack had once been sad and dreary, now Christmas lights and a tree shown from the window.

"I still plan to visit and add some well-deserved fun to your life, kid," I said as he ran inside to look under the tree. He came back out holding a big present. Yellow cheered, smiling at his new friends in the window, then his eyes traveled to me, and he smiled and waved to all of us.

* * *

At blue robe's house I watched as he thanked his friends and the conductor, then said his goodbyes. As with the boy before him, blue robe looked at the windows of the train, then up at the roof. I waved to him then made one final disappearing act with my snow. Out of sight, I landed on the house's roof and got ready to wait up for Santa.

North arrived and was more than a little surprised when he saw me. "Jack? Vhat are you doing here?"

"Hey, North," I said as I climbed into the sleigh and began looking around. "My friend dropped his bell," I looked on the seat causing North to have to stand. "The one you gave him. Since no one could find it at the square," I moved onto the floor and taped his boot to get him to lift it. "I figured it must be…ah ha!" I showed him the bell that I found in the front corner of the sleigh.

"You, how you know about first gift? Vere you there? And how you know vhere boy live?"

"That can wait," I said, not sure if I'd ever get around to explaining. "You have a gift to deliver."

"Da." North took the bell and expertly wrapped it in a small box amazingly fast, then went down the chimney. When he returned he had a mischievous smile on his face.

"What's that smile for?" I asked.

"I left note for him vith bell. You come back tomorrow and see for yourself." North climbed into the sleigh, then with a shake of the rains, was off.

* * *

Out of curiosity, I stuck around. I usually spend Christmas in Burgress but I wanted to see what North had been talking about. Gift after gift was unwrapped that morning, I watched it all from the living room window, till finally the boy's sister pulled out the small box.

"It's for you," she said, handing it to her brother. His face lit up when he found the bell. Then he took a card out as well. "What's it say?" the little girl pleaded.

"'A mutual friend of ours found this in my sleigh. Better fix that hole in your pocket. Mr. C,'" The boy read.

"Mr. C? You met Santa Claus?! Who is his friend? Tell me!"

The boy looked thoughtful then an idea seemed to dawn on him. He turned towards the window and saw me. My frost spread across the glass as I smiled and waved. "The freight hopper!" I saluted him and he saluted back, his sister followed his gaze and saw me too.

That's when their parents came in, each tried the bell but could hear nothing, declaring it broken. But when the kids shook it, I could tell they heard the bell ringing loud and clear. I left the window as the family prepared to leave their home and visit others. In the air, I felt a deep sense of happiness, which stuck with me all the way to Burgress, where I spread it around.

* * *

That trip on the Polar Express was the most unforgettable, but it was far from my last. That night followed right on the fine line between thrill and danger. And I got to be part of at least one kids return of belief and wonder, _and of course fun_! I _did_ finally tell North I had train hopped, that one night, in fact it was the vary day we defeated Pitch that I broke the news. But even though I'm a Guardian now and I know for a fact he would give me a never-expiring ticket, I feel it wouldn't be a true trip unless I was sneaking aboard. What can I say, it's the freight hopper in me!

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 **This was so fun to write, hope you all liked the ending. Let me know what you think. Thank you to all who reviewed, favorited, and followed!**


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